Toyota serpentine belts bad?

So I have a 2005 Tacoma and about 3 months after I purchased it the serpentine belt start squeaking (it sounds like a pully but I guess its not). I replaced the belt with a genuine Toyota one from the dealer and the noise was gone for about 6-8 months and then it came back. I took the truck to the dealer and they replaced the belt again and checked the pullies and said it was my aftermarket belt. Funny thing is it was a Toyota belt I purchased from them. So i showed my receipt and they waranteed the part and I only paid for labor. Well not 3 months later and less than 5,000 miles the noise came back today. Its not really bad yet but thats only a matter of time. They told me to bring it back and they would stand by the work if the noise came back. I am just wondering if there is a better belt out there to put on this and be done with it!
If I have to take it in for a new belt every six months I will go insane!

Anyone have any feedback on this? Thanks!

 

I have noticed the same noise on my truck. I think mine might be my AC compressor.
I would look into a gator back belt. I put one on my old F-150 and never had any probs.

 

That's ridiculous that the dealer tried to lay blame on an "aftermarket belt." When in fact, it was OEM. This is the very reason why I don't deal with them if I can help it. Have you thought about taking it to a local reputable shop & asking about it? A good mechanic would hopefully recognize that changing the belt is obviously not the fix if you've done this numerous times and still have the problem. When the belt came off each time did it have any damage to it, or unusual wear?

 

Well....did you check the pulleys? How do they look?

Could be a bearing starting to go out.....

Gawd forbid, I hate these lack of quality related posts.

 

I normaly avoid the dealer as well but since I had changed the belt one time before and I have an extended warantee I took it in. The belt never looked bad to me either time. The dealer claimed the tech checked out the pullies and they were all ok. I can take it back again but who knows where that is going to go. I was thinking about the gatorback but maybe the best thing is to take it back and bitch at the dealer that its still a problem.

 

I would....

Does it squeek constantly? Or only like when you step on the gas?

Is the belt tight enough?

 

I actually have the same problem right now. My local dealer checked it out and told me it wa the idler pullys..all 3 of them. This sucks cause my warranty is out of date. Good thing is, is it is only gonna be about $115 parts and labor.

 

How many miles do you have on yours? Mine is 81,000 and thats a good price. The pully's themselves are like $30-40 each!

 

Right over 46,000

 

I installed a Gatorback in my parents truck, they have no issues - no squeaking. I will run a Gatorback when it comes time to replace the belt.

 

Have you tried belt dressing? After my first trip off road, I hit a bunch of mud and every since I've dealt with a squeek. No matter how much I try, I just can't get it clean enough but the belt dressing did help quite a bit.

 

Belt dressing is a bandaid.

 

Yes...this is what I did, but I don't run my truck in mud or anything but the belt dressing seems to help if I start to hear squeaking.

 

True but I heard it can give your belt a longer life and less slip if you use it every 3000 miles or so.

 

heres a good fix.side walk chalk.

 

I have used belt dressing and sometimes it makes it worse but regardless its a short term fix. I booked an appointment to take it back to the Toy dealer on Thursday but funny thing the noise was not there today but I only started it and did not drive it.

Someone else mentioned chaulk before. Whats up with that? Just rub it on the belt?

 

I guess for me the belt dressing helped get some of the "dirt" and "mud" off of the belt that water from my hose was unable to do on its own. It may not work for everyone but it took a loud squeal for me and made it 'almost' disappear for about one year now. YMMV...

 

what's gatorback?

 

That was going to be my question.